4. Judith was living as a widow in her home for three years and four months.
5. She set up a tent for herself on the roof of her house, put sackcloth about her waist, and wore widow’s clothing.
6. She fasted all the days of her widowhood, except sabbath eves and sabbaths, new moon eves and new moons, feastdays and holidays of the house of Israel.
7. She was beautiful in appearance and very lovely to behold. Her husband, Manasseh, had left her gold and silver, male and female servants, livestock and fields, which she was maintaining.
8. No one had a bad word to say about her, for she feared God greatly.
9. So when Judith heard of the harsh words that the people, discouraged by their lack of water, had spoken against their ruler, and of all that Uzziah had said to them in reply, swearing that he would hand over the city to the Assyrians at the end of five days,
10. she sent her maid who was in charge of all her things to summon Uzziah, Chabris, and Charmis, the elders of her city.
11. When they came, she said to them: “Listen to me, you rulers of the people of Bethulia. What you said to the people today is not right. You pronounced this oath, made between God and yourselves, and promised to hand over the city to our enemies unless within a certain time the Lord comes to our aid.